North Tonawanda, N.Y.-based DeGraff Memorial Hospital will downsize its surgical unit by 56 beds to focus on its $7.8 million renovation of the emergency department, according to Niagara Gazette.
The downsize from 66 beds to 10 is part of the hospital's "DeGraff 2020" plan, which involves improving the hospital's ED, geriatric clinic, wound care and other outpatient services.
In 2006, the New York Health Department's Commission on Health Care Facilities said DeGraff Memorial Hospital should close and be converted into a long-term care facility. However, Buffalo, N.Y.-based Kaleida Health, which owns and operates DeGraff, appealed the decision keeping the hospital operational.
Despite Kaleida fighting to keep the hospital open, the hospital has seen a 33 percent decline in inpatient admissions, 54 percent decrease in outpatient surgeries and 63 percent drop in inpatient surgeries in the past decade.
These decreases have caused Kaleida Health to adjust to meet the needs of the community. The downgrade of the surgical unit may cause job changes; however, Kaleida Health is ensuring DeGraff employees "have employment opportunities either at that location or another Kaleida Health facility, consistent with the terms and conditions of our labor agreements," according to the report, which cited a press release.